Why UAE in BRICS matters, Importance of Back-to-School safety, and more, Gulf News Editors comment on August 25 trending news

WHY UAE IN BRICS MATTERS: The UAE has formally joined the BRICS group, endorsed by the founding nations of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. The country's dedication to multilateral endeavors and productive dialogues is reinforced through platforms representing emerging economies globally. This alignment reflects the UAE's commitment to advocating multilateralism, supporting global peace, development, and well-being. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan said the UAE joining BRICS reflects the bloc’s approach to partnerships and its strong spirit of friendship. Having previously participated in BRICS forums, such membership underscores the UAE's enduring partnership. This inclusion resonates with its pursuit of balanced international relations and sustainable prosperity in a swiftly evolving world. (By Nivetha Dayanand, Web Editor)

BACK TO SCHOOL SAFETY REMINDERS: Authorities nationwide have launched a campaign to raise awareness about traffic regulations and to establish the highest standards of traffic safety for students traveling to and from their schools. This effort extends to school bus drivers, who are encouraged to position their buses at assigned safe spots. Adequate time should be given for students to board, find seats, and safely disembark. Bus drivers are also cautioned against excessive speeding and are advised to follow precautionary measures, particularly in foggy conditions. Drivers are also reminded to maintain a safe following distance and to activate the "Stop" sign arm when students are boarding or alighting from the bus. As the new school year commences, it is of utmost importance for all road users to exercise heightened vigilance while driving, reduce speeds near school zones, adhere to safe driving practices, and collaborate with traffic authorities to optimize traffic flow and prevent accidents. (By Jay Hilotin, Senior Assistant Editor)

IT’S ALL IN THE GAME FOR INDIAN CRICKET PLAYERS: The selection of the Indian cricket team entices more reaction than any other spear of the game. Every fan will have a say and the numerous experts also add their choices and the social media gives the perfect platform for these criticism and discussion, which sometimes could turn personal. The selection of India team for Asia Cup once again has been a hot debate, especially the choice of spinners. Yuzvendra Chahal and Ravichandran Ashwin were not picked, with all-rounders Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel getting the nod for their better batting skills, leaving Kuldeep Yadav as the lone spinner. It’s unfortunate there will be near misses, especially at a time when most of the teams are trying to finalise their line-ups for the World Cup, to be held in India in October-November. There could be more heartburns as this 17-member team will be pruned down to 15 for the showpiece. A game played by thousands in the country it is business as usual for these players, who are used to discontentment and anguish all through their careers. It’s all in the game, you win some and lose some. (By A.K.S. Satish, Sports Editor)

A NEW CHAPTER IN HOW MUSIC IS COMPOSED: We’ve reached a new chapter in how music is composed, and no, we’re not merely talking about AI — the technology that striking Hollywood writers and actors are up against. A Pink Floyd song made with AI and brain scans sounds a lot like the band, the Washington Post reported. Researchers at the University of California, the report said, examined the brain activity of over two dozen people who listened to the song. This data was then decoded by a machine learning model (Hello AI!) and reconstructed back into audio, which sounded similar to the original! This is the first time research has been conducted in such a manner. But there’s a deeper purpose into this work. Scientists hope to one day develop a technology that can help people with speech difficulties communicate with each other. This also marks, in a long time, when AI has been in good news. Even Pink Floyd would perhaps doff their hat to the researchers’ work and sing, “Lost For Words.” (By Rajagopalan Venkataraman, Assistant Editor-Features)